Just because I'm crazy doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Beth and I are looking at Mary Magdalene today. I can't imagine how she felt there, after all Christ had done for her, at the foot of the cross. Watching her redeemer lose it all, disrespected and rejected. The one who relieved her torment was now being tormented and tortured. Even God himself looked away. The cross looked like failure. What do you do when the dream has died? Mary was devastated. But He wasn't done with Mary yet. He did one more thing: He died for her. He died for you. And now, we have the victory. Do we [...]

Every so often, a song jumps out of my speakers, hurls through the air, travels through my ears and pierces my heart. I heard the song Frontiers by Vertical Church Band and at first I thought, "I wish I'd written that". Then I thought, "Did someone read my mind or my journal?" https://youtu.be/wYpnWx9gnZs Lead me to the end of myself. Take me to the edge of something greater. Friends, this is the absolute cry of my heart. It is a theme for my quest to die to self. Wait, "quest" sounds like an adventure. Perhaps the word "battle" is much [...]

Beth posted about Hannah this morning on her blog. Once again, another story of infertility. Why is it this can cause us to feel like lesser women? Do our lives not have purpose outside child rearing? And yet, there is biology involved. There is a cliche biological clock. It's a real thing. This story of Hannah took me back 3 years, to Christmas 2013, in Paris. For 2 weeks, I pretended to be a local. Getting my pastries and coffee for breakfast from the same bakery - from the girl with a playboy bunny tattoo who had a great smile. Walking [...]

Ever wonder how that conversation between Sarah and Hagar went down? How do you ask another woman to sleep with your husband and have a baby because you think your ovaries basically have shriveled up? (I feel uncomfortable even asking my neighbor for a cup of sugar - so I NEVER have.) I bet holidays were super awkward. "Hagar - can you do me a solid?" -Sarah How could Hagar say no? She didn't. Many years ago, I spoke at a camp for elementary age girls with my bff/soul sister, Emily. In addition to my being a terrible speaker, this [...]

We're talking about the Woman at the Well. Visit Beth's blog for teaching- read on for my shenanigans. I tease my single friends about being "thirsty" all the time. It's the funniest term I've heard used for someone who is eager to find that special someone. The word thirsty paints a great picture, doesn't it? I immediately imagine that poor cartoon character who dives head first into a mirage of a lake only to get a mouthful of sand. We all laughed at that as kids, but it sets the stage for what the world has to offer regarding our [...]

Beth's observations about Tamar in Genesis 38 are so good. My takeaway from it was this thought: Now, I want to make sure you know which Tamar we're talking about. We're not talking about King David's daughter - who was raped & abandoned. We're talking about Judah's daughter-in-law, twice widowed & left destitute. Both of these women were wronged! Both were in a culture and time where women were treated like property. Both were victims of circumstance, but only 1 took matters into her own hands. And THAT is the Tamar we are looking at. This story is like Maury [...]

Beth and I are kicking off a series about Royals with one of my favs, Esther. See Beth's study here. My takeaway: I was at a conference my friend created a few years ago and discovered my greatest impact is thru relationship. As a performer, that was humbling. Do any of us realize the affect we have on each other? Nope. And I think that's true for many of us. Esther used her influence to save lives, and you can, too. Here's the breakdown: 1. Love others. 2. Be available. So often we overthink things. Maybe it's because we want to [...]

Robert Downey Jr. Denzel Washington. Brad Pitt. George Clooney. What do they all have in common? Besides being household names, they've aged gracefully. Further proof of how unfair life is for us ladies. How many actresses have you heard about recently aging well? What's worse is that we seem to appreciate the distinguished look of these men as they get older. I would argue some are better looking now than when they were younger. Today is my husband's 40th birthday. I was thinking about how he's spent nearly half of his life with me. How his beard is full and [...]

As a kid, I remember overhearing jokes about women who wore too much makeup being "Jezebels". I happen to love makeup and dressing up so the term is very derogatory - citing that women do these things with purpose of seduction. Beth teaches on Jezebel here - giving a brief history lesson on who she was & how she was Queen of all control freaks. Jezebel was scary and intimidating and the perfect example of what not to do. She is proof of how powerful women are. When you can scare off a prophet, I'd say you're powerfully terrifying and horrible. [...]

I'm guilty of maybe glancing in my rear-view too much these days. My boys are either engulfed in a Disney movie, singing along or trying to murder each other in the backseat. It's dangerous though, to have that beautiful distraction; I love those sweet little rascals. My eyes and focus must be on the road and what's happening around me. I mean, since I don't own a sweet Tesla that can drive for me or even predict when an accident is about to happen. So, until I become independently wealthy, I must remain diligent. Beth and I are taking a [...]